I have a few questions!
maggiegbrown
Posts: 90 Member
I have been doing keto for 3 weeks now, I have lost 12 lbs. But I feel like I am doing something wrong. I set my goals at 5 % carbs, 75% fat and 20% protein. my cals. are set at 1000. I am fine with my carbs most of the time I only get between 7-10 g. My protein is right on the money but I have a hard time getting in my fats and my calories. At the end of the day I end up with between 7-800 calories a day. Is this ok or should I be doing something different?
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First off how much do you weigh now and how much do you want to lose?1
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Carbs are a limit, protein is a goal range, based on maintaining or building muscle mass, and fats are eating to satiety.
Your calories are very very low unless you're 4'10" and very near goal weight, despite naturally lowering calories and metabolism some to allow for age.
http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
http://www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/
Try using the calculators above to verify that your calories are in range and such for your stats.
After doing that, make sure your loss rate is not set too aggressively, that your activity levels are accurate, and that you're eating back at least half your exercise calories if you exercise.
If you have days we're you're eating 1200 -1600 calories, and other days where you might be at 800 calories due to low hunger, that *might* be okay, because eating keto is naturally lower sometimes. But if you are eating at 700-800 calories every single day, be fully prepared for your weight loss to slam into a brick wall from your metabolism slowing to a screeching halt to match your extremely reduced intake.
Unless this is a specific medically monitored program, eating that little every single day simply isn't safe for your long term health. Once you determine that all of your numbers are close to accurate, know that fats are not a goal that must be achieved - you should eat to satiety - true satiety. If that happens and your calories are naturally low sometimes, but are higher other times, that is fine.
Look forward to hearing more back from you...0 -
I'm 162 and want to get down to around 135. I am not eating 800 cause I want to, I'm just not hungry.0
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maggiegbrown wrote: »I'm 162 and want to get down to around 135. I am not eating 800 cause I want to, I'm just not hungry.
It might be worth working to add in extra fats in each meal to get your calories up a bit to get you in a safer range. I am sorry if you thought I meant that you were doing it intentionally. I knew from your wording that it was just due to suppressed hunger, but that it still can be problematic.
Maybe add butter or coconut oil to your cooking methods. And extra pat of butter and maybe some cheese on the veggies. A butter/keto coffee in place of a plain one. Use heavy cream or no-sugar coconut cream instead of other things. Make sauces for your foods. Look at the small ways to sneak in a few calories here or there. Things like butter have a delayed satiety setting, so until your body is fine tuned to receive those, they can be sneaky calories, helping you keep that metabolism up and running - and boosting it when it starts to slow from decreased calories.2 -
Man, my breakfast is 700 calories alone. Try bullet proof coffee.6
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That is very low - if you're not feeling hungry for extra food, I agree with knitormiss that you should try adding extra fat to each meal - choose fattier cuts of meat, chicken with skin - add butter or cheese (or both!!) to veggies - make sauces out of cream and butter and fresh herbs - drink bulletproof coffee - check out Pinterest for fat bomb recipes.2
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What do you "feel" is wrong? It's really about how you feel, not just satisfying the hunger issue.
I am only 5'1" so I don't believe in 1200/cals. or bust. For me, it is more about your energy level. If I feel wiped out and tired all the time, I'll add more calories, keeping macros in check. If I have plenty of energy, able to workout and not hungry, then I'm OK with going more deficit. Being consistent long term is the key. Deficits of 200-300 calories a day is very sufficient for weight loss over the week. 4 pounds a week is a little fast, but that is typical when folks just start LCHF/keto. It usually is water weight at first and we want Fat loss over time. You may find that the scale slows down after a while and then you won't have any wiggle room to reduce calories. Shoot for 1-2 pounds a week that way you will be able to keep going over the long haul for the next 30 pounds. Review the calculators KnitorMiss provided. Keep checking in.1 -
I just want to add that, in my opinion, you don't need to let it cause you a lot of stress. If you have good energy, feel good and are losing body fat you have time to make the adjustments.
If your body is easily getting the extra energy from stored fat right now then you're fortunate. It doesn't work that way for everyone. That won't last forever though and you'll want to target a higher intake.1 -
Your calories are too low.0
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tell me how I am not hungry!0
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I don't know how you're not hungry... Are you weighing (food scale) and measuring (cups for liquids only) everything you eat and drink and honestly and accurately logging them? If you're not then chances are your calories are not as low as you think.
If you are doing all of the above things, then odds are eating such low calories every day will eventually catch up with you in one way or the other, by binging and/or declining health.2 -
Hello Miss Christine_72! I do have a scale and I do measuring and i'm doing it correctly as far as I know. I have started added butter to my coffee which is really strange for me, so that I can add more cal. I have never been one to eat a lot of fat or cal. I use to drink a lot of diet pepsi. But that has gone out of my life now I drink a crazy amount of water. So maybe I am drinking all my cals. I have been feeling a bit out of sorts the past few days, so even though I was not hungry I ate spoonful's of peanutbutter. It seem to make me feel better. I am just having a really hard time making all the # work out without going over or under on one or the other.1
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That was my other question you guys..... I know what happens when you go over on your protein but what happens when you go over on your fat?1
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As far as I know, other than generally consuming more calories that you planned to consume, nothing in and of itself happens when you eat excess fat. And generally, even if you go over on fat, you may still show losses (MAY, being the keyword) as your body will get more efficient at processing fats. It may make your stools a little loose if you jump up suddenly 50-100 grams extra fat grams over what you normally consume, but not much beyond that in my experience.0
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Oh ok that sounds good. I was not doing that I was only sometimes having to adjust 10-15 grams.0
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So here is another question for ya'll. I have been doing Keto for a month now and I am down 14 lbs. but when I measure myself I am not losing inches..... what's up with that?
Also funny story today... I went to the Dr. last week to get blood work done and talk about my diet since my kidney's are a little off. My Dr. did not like the fact I was on Keto so she set me up with a nutritionist. When I went to my appointment today, I knew more than he did. LOL so much for that.1 -
I've been on Keto for 16 months and lost about 45 pounds. Except for my waist I really haven't had and significant changes in my measurements. I did go from 38" to 34" waist, lost 1/2" on my neck, less than an inch on my chest and hips. But I feel great. I guess we are all different and I've heard some very different results from different people.
My advice is to make the needed adjustments, so that you feel good, and be patient, the results will come. I erased 20 years of gains in less than a year, felt good all the while and found a way of eating that I can easily stick to for the rest of my life. I believe that will happen for you too, @maggiebrown.
I'm afraid you'll find that many Physicians and nutritionists are not onboard with LCHF diets yet. Yet there are some.0 -
maggiegbrown wrote: »So here is another question for ya'll. I have been doing Keto for a month now and I am down 14 lbs. but when I measure myself I am not losing inches..... what's up with that?
Also funny story today... I went to the Dr. last week to get blood work done and talk about my diet since my kidney's are a little off. My Dr. did not like the fact I was on Keto so she set me up with a nutritionist. When I went to my appointment today, I knew more than he did. LOL so much for that.
@maggiegbrown - there are a few folks here that have kidney issues, and so have to keep protein well monitored. I don't know much, but I'd ask you to clarify what you mean when "a little off" so that others can chime in. I think it is @KETOGENICGURL that's struggled with this and done research.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10211449/Dr.-Lustig's-FAT-CHANCE-book-&-Fructose-study-shows-how-evil-it-is-for-Kidneys#latest
This is one of many discussions on it that I actually found to reference.
And traditional registered dietitians, not nutritionists (who don't necessarily HAVE to get certified), don't generally keep up on new things unless they do continuing education and all that!0 -
I've been on Keto for 16 months and lost about 45 pounds. Except for my waist I really haven't had and significant changes in my measurements. I did go from 38" to 34" waist, lost 1/2" on my neck, less than an inch on my chest and hips. But I feel great. I guess we are all different and I've heard some very different results from different people.
My advice is to make the needed adjustments, so that you feel good, and be patient, the results will come. I erased 20 years of gains in less than a year, felt good all the while and found a way of eating that I can easily stick to for the rest of my life. I believe that will happen for you too, @maggiebrown.
I'm afraid you'll find that many Physicians and nutritionists are not onboard with LCHF diets yet. Yet there are some.
@Sunny_Bunny_ pointed out a while back that she was losing inches in odd areas we wouldn't normally measure. When I almost lost a bracelet, I noticed my wrist size had changed, and Sunny had lost over her rib cage! Most likely it's the same for you...and like @Fvaisey - there's a lot to do with fat loss and inflammation loss and muscle built and all that. Time for PICTURES! You'll be shocked later and wish you'd taken more...
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Add some extra fat with all of your meals